Artist: The Smashing Pumpkins

Album: The Aeroplane Flies High (Box Set)

Year: 1996

If memory serves correctly (which isn’t something that always happens), I mentioned in a much older article that 1996 was the year that belonged to The Smashing Pumpkins. They had released “Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness” in October of 1995, and it would go on to spawn 5 singles, while the band would also dominate the MTV Video Music Awards, mostly thanks to the video for “Tonight, Tonight”.

Unfortunately, it was also the year that touring keyboardist Jonathan Melvoin and drummer Jimmy Chamberlin would both overdose, resulting in the former’s death and the latter being fired from the band. Indeed, 1996, for the band, was probably a perfect example of celebrating the highest of highs and dealing with the lowest of lows.

Now, back to the 5 singles I mentioned. It may be something that is forgotten these days, but back then, singles were actually released on CD. On top of that, import singles often featured b-sides not available on the singles released in the USA. For fans wanting all the songs, this was a costly, but necessary way, to get all those extra tracks.

Virgin Records took care of this problem, by releasing “The Aeroplane Flies High”. Released in November 1996, this box set contained all 5 singles released from “Mellon Collie…..”, along with all their respective b-sides, and an extra 5 cover songs added to the first disc. It was supposed to be limited to 200,000 copies, but demand for the set ended up being much higher than expected, resulting in more copies having to be produced.

Due to the limited run, as well as the fact it was almost entirely b-sides, and coming between 2 major studio albums, this release is often overlooked, despite being rather important.

“Mellon Collie….” had 28 songs, while a reported 40-50 had been worked on. With this box set rounding up every b-side, it ends up actually containing more music than its parent album. On top of that, it can be argued that some of these tracks should have been on the actual album itself (SP was one of those bands whose b-sides tended to be very strong). Indeed, fans often cite the tracks “Ugly” and “Set the Ray to Jerry” (both from the “1979” single) as two of the best songs the band has ever recorded.

Actually, the only track that drove people nuts was the “Pastichio Medley”, from the “Zero” single. This 23 minute track is comprised of nothing but riffs recorded between “Siamese Dream” and “Mellon Collie….”, and the main reason it drove people nuts was because we wanted the entire songs! (It wouldn’t be until the deluxe editions of “Mellon Collie….” and “Aeroplane” that we would get a lot of those tracks in full, and even then some remained unreleased).

When all is said and done, though, it’s what this box represents that is the most important aspect. Jimmy was gone. The direction and sound of the band would change rather drastically the following year. This would be the final new release to actually contain recordings featuring all 4 original members.

Basically, this was the release that drew a line in the sand, and unexpectedly would also see the end of an era. With hindsight being 20/20, it’s time people went back and listened to it.

You know how when we write about an album release, we say the band “hails from (enter city here)”? Well, Superorganism hails from pretty much everywhere.

I’m dead serious. This eight-piece (and multiplying) group contains members from England, Japan, New Zealand, and Australia, and after a year of releasing singles (including their first recording, “Something For Your M.I.ND.”, which caused enough of a sensation on the internet to the point that it ended up in the “Fifa 18” video game), they’re set to release their debut, self-titled album.

This is an album that, at first, seems a bit disjointed. This is due, in part, to the fact that 5 of the 10 songs have been released as singles prior to the album. Along with that, the album is actually front-loaded with those 5 songs being in the first 6 tracks. As a result, you end up with something that comes dangerously close to sounding like 2 E.P.s being released as one collection. Indeed, the second half of the album does drag slightly but rebounds on the final track.

However, it’s to the band’s credit that, despite those flaws, they manage to put together something that uses classic techniques in modern ways. There’s no escaping the fact that the majority of this is pop. Hooks? Check. Melodies? Check. Laid back, chilled lead vocals with sing-along choruses? Check. All of this is done in a very electronic way, with samples, sound effects, and loops layered alongside vocals and instruments to create something that is borderline weird and catchy, familiar yet new.

So, is it perfect? Not quite. Spreading out the singles probably would’ve helped with the flow a great deal and kept that second half from dragging (though it does pick back up by the final track). But when that’s one of the only complaints you have for a debut album, then it’s safe to say they’re on the right track. Now we sit back and see where they decide to take us.

Rating: An almost Super first attempt

Artist: The Beatles

Song Title: “Revolution (Take 20)”

Year: 1968, unreleased

I recently approached my editors with an idea of writing a Lost and Found article on a single song. An odd request, to be sure, but I was ultimately given permission, provided I could make it into a Lost and Found piece. Given the number of circumstances behind this, that actually was not difficult. Sure, most songs have stories behind them, but a full article? Yet here I am, doing it because outside of the more hardcore Beatles fans, this probably slipped by a lot of people. A history lesson on The Beatles is not needed here, that much is obvious, so let’s jump right into it, shall we?

50 years ago this year, The Beatles wrote and recorded their first double album, titled “The Beatles”, but more commonly known as the “White Album”. It was, for them, a reaction to the excess of the previous year’s releases; rather than a million overdubs, they decided to strip down the arrangements and rehearse tracks, with the idea that the rehearsals would then be treated as the basic tracks. They all also came with their own songs/ideas and were arguing more and more almost from the very beginning. Indeed, their problems, and eventual breakup, actually started with the recording of this double album. One of the songs that would end up being at the center of the problems? “Revolution”.

As some (or maybe even most) people know, there are 3 “Revolution” tracks. “Revolution No. 1”, which is a slower, more acoustic take, was used on the album. “Revolution No. 9”, which consisted of tape loops, backward effects, and random noises, was also placed on the album. Finally, “Revolution”, which was an upbeat, electric version of No. 1, was released as the b-side of “Hey Jude”, and is probably the best-known version of the three (despite being the final version recorded; more on that in a bit). Over the years, while there was some curiosity as to the usage of the numbers, it was never really explained. Indeed, #1 and #9 are so completely different from each other, that it was just chalked up to “Lennon being Lennon”. This view, though, would end up changing.

In 1988, Mark Lewisohn, who is considered one of the leading authorities on The Beatles, released, “The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions”, which was a complete chronicle of every bit of music the band had put to tape during their time in Abbey Road Studios. Indeed, Mr. Lewisohn had access to the entire vault, and the book was presented in a diary format, along with interviews with various studio personnel, covering every session held; who played what, the work that was done that day, how the music, sounds, even overdubs, were recorded. It even chronicled the few unreleased tracks that were there, as well as alternate mixes and versions of songs.

In this book, it’s revealed that “Revolution #1” was the very first track recorded during the “White Album” sessions. All takes went to normal lengths, roughly 4-5 minutes…..that is, until take 18, which not only began immediately after the previous take (resulting in the engineer’s take announcement appearing on the recording) but ended up being over 10 minutes long! Yup. Over 10 minutes of jamming on the same chord sequence, with Lennon yelling “Alright” repeatedly, then just yelling and mumbling. Quite a sudden difference. Further overdubs would be added, including the sound of a radio station changing, Paul and George repeatedly singing, “Mama, Dada”, the band singing “Ahhhhh” in unison, along with horn overdubs, would bring the song up to take 20.

Now, at the time, Lennon was keen on putting this on the album and even wanted to release it as a single. For obvious reasons this wasn’t gonna happen; as it is, even the main body of the song was considered too slow for a single release. This is how we ended up with the single, “rock” version of “Revolution”. As for the 10+ minute album version, Lennon decided (or was persuaded, depending on the story), to chop the final 6 minutes off and fade out the main song, thus creating the version of “Revolution #1” we know on the album.

Not to let anything go to waste, he then took those last 6 minutes, which already contained various loops, and used it as the basis for “Revolution #9” by adding more tape loops with the help of both George Harrison and Yoko Ono. This would also make the album, albeit not without some fighting.

So we now know both “Revolution” #1 and #9 started from the same recording. It was considered one of the holy grails for fans, despite the overall dislike for #9. After all, just how would they actually sound together? A monitor mix, recorded from a studio playback but with Yoko rambling on top of it, leaked on bootlegs in the 90s, but was of poor quality to really listen to.

In 2009, The Beatles announced that they would be releasing brand new remasters of their catalog. This was a huge deal, as their albums were only ever released on CD once, in 1987. For years people were crying out for new remasters; while other artists re-released past albums, using the newest technologies to improve the sound of their albums (or, in some cases, make them worse), The Beatles albums just sort of languished. 2009 changed all of that. We got brand new remasters of all their albums, official releases of the mono versions, and even “The Beatles: Rock Band” video game. It was wonderful. Just a few months prior, though, we got the unexpected. The full, 10+ minute version of “Revolution (Take 20)” suddenly appeared on a bootleg and the internet. Not only that, it was in practically perfect quality, being a mono mix taken straight from tape.

It’s still a mystery as to who leaked it. It’s generally believed that only 2 copies of this mono mix existed; one in the vault of Abbey Road Studios, and a copy that Lennon himself took that day. Along with that, the timing of the leak was interesting, coming at a time when so much focus was on the band due to the impending remasters.

Finally, there was the reaction of those involved; the band, etc. Their reaction was…..nothing. Yup. None of the band, their estates…..nobody said a word about it, and in the research, I’ve done, to this day they still haven’t. The only reaction came from the record label, which was to have it removed from youtube. Too little, too late though. So, an excellent sounding copy of an unreleased version of a Beatles song leaks shortly before the brand new remasters are released, and they don’t have much of a reaction if any. Not only is the source unknown, but the options for such are limited. Could it have been done by them for extra publicity? Perhaps, but they’re not exactly a band that needs it.

Regardless, we finally got one of the holy grails. While it was reported by the press, it wasn’t quite as huge as you’d expect. Maybe it was because part of it involved “Revolution #9”, which a number of fans aren’t fond of due to being overly avant-garde. Maybe it was due to the label trying to stifle it as much as possible. Or maybe, just maybe, many people outside of the super hardcore fans didn’t know there was a story behind it or the importance behind the leak.

If you’ve read this, though, now you do. To think, this was 50 years ago this year, and it took 40 years to get to us. Now, if we can just have “Carnival of Light…..”

The only version on youtube was slowed down, I guess as a way to keep it up there (you know how people do that). However, here’s a link to a Beatles fan site that has the song posted at the correct speed: https://www.beatlesbible.com/2009/02/24/unreleased-revolution-1-mix/

Artist: Cheap Trick

Album: Cheap Trick

Year: 1977

Serial killers. Suicide. Pedophiles. Not the sort of topics you would relate to Cheap Trick, but sure enough, they’re all present on their debut album.

Cheap Trick is an example of a strange phenomenon I’ve seen happen on more than one occasion. Once in a while, a band comes along and doesn’t do well here at first (or sometimes ever)…but they become immediate successes in Japan. Artists such as Cheap Trick, Queen, and The Runaways, all experienced insane popularity in Japan before ever making a dent here.

In the case of Cheap Trick, their first 3 albums didn’t even crack the Top 40 here. “Surrender”, which is now considered one of their signature songs, only hit No. 62. The twist here is that it would be their live album, “Cheap Trick at Budokan”, recorded in Japan, that would end up launching them as stars around the world, including their own country (and it wasn’t even meant to be released here!).

It’s no secret that, live, the band was a much different beast than in the studio. In contrast to the polish that made the hits so smooth sounding, they were raw and aggressive. That’s where the debut comes in. Thanks, in part, to producer Jack Douglas (who had just recently worked on a string of classic Aerosmith albums), this first album managed to capture the raw, unpolished sound that the band was capable of. Along with that, it also was very dark lyrically.

“Daddy Should Have Stayed in High School” is a song about a pedophile. “Oh Candy” (released as a single, with no success) was written about a who committed suicide. Closing track (and this writer’s personal favorite) “The Ballad of TV Violence (I’m Not the Only Boy)” is about Richard Speck, who was a serial killer.

It’s not all darkness though, but even upbeat tracks like “He’s a Whore” (which, despite the title, is not just about sex) and opening track “ELO Kiddies” (which is open to interpretation, since even the band members have all given various explanations regarding what it’s about) have a sense of mischievousness that, while not quite lacking from future albums, definitely shines through much more here.

What we end up with is an album that was a much more accurate representation of the band’s sound. After the lack of success it had here (not even breaking the Top 200), they would go with a different producer. While it would eventually lead to success for the band, it would also result in them sounding much smoother and safer (a move even the band would bemoan in later years).

In the years since, despite career ups and downs, they’re still going strong, having been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and their first 4 albums are now regarded as classics.

The debut, though, stands out.

Artist: The Kinks

Album: The Kinks Present a Soap Opera

Year: 1975

Well….after a near 4 year hiatus, filled with varying life circumstances (and with the exception of my David Bowie tribute which apparently made some people cry), I’ve once again returned to the writing trenches. Special thanks to Michelle, Lauren, and Mandy for welcoming me back (again); this may be more occasional than regular this time around, but it will be much easier for me that way. On that note….

If you haven’t noticed from my past articles, I sometimes have this weird thing where I tend to like an album that is widely considered one of the worst releases in an artist’s discography. “The Kinks Present a Soap Opera” (from here on out referred to as just “Soap Opera”) is one of the best examples of this aspect.

At this point in their career, The Kinks were on a downswing, in the midst of what has been referred to as their “theatrical” phase, which began with the release of “Preservation Act 1” in 1973. At this point, they were past their golden era and also increased their lineup to include female backing vocalists and horn players. Along with this, Ray Davies started exerting even more control in the studio; “Soap Opera” is considered by many to be more of a Ray Davies solo album in all but name.

The roots of the album lie in the project “Starmaker”, which aired on Granada Television, and starred Davies in the titles role, with the rest of the band members serving as the backup and. It was decided to take the concept, and songs, into the studio, to create an entire album around it.

The basic plot involves the character Starmaker, who declares that he can make anybody a star, and decides to trade places with an average person named Norman, to see what it’s like to live as an average person. He works at Norman’s job, sleeps with his wife, and basically does regular things, though he starts to lose his grip on reality at the same time.

Now, this sounds like a decent plot for a rock opera, and it is. I grew up with fond memories of listening to this on 8 track, which, when I got older, exposed the first issue: the story can only be understood if the songs are listened to in order! It wasn’t until I was 21, and it got a CD reissue, that I heard the album as intended (which I assure you was quite a different running order), and it made more sense.

Thing is, the CD release exposed the second issue: there’s actual dialogue in between the tracks, but only in the lyric sheet and not recorded. Without the original vinyl release containing the lyric sheet, big chunks of the story that happens between the songs are missing. Why this dialogue wasn’t recorded is beyond me; it’s necessary in order to fully understand the story, especially during the second half. Seriously, if you can figure out the point of “Ducks on the Wall” without the link between that and the previous song, you’re amazing.

As for the music, it’s typical of The Kinks during the mid-70s; rock, music hall, blues. It’s not great, but it’s not as bad as the reputation may suggest, especially in these days of reality tv and people trying to switch jobs with others, etc. The overall charm is also the biggest frustration; the album feels incomplete and seems to end too quickly, and when you see the dialogue that’s written between the tracks, it feels like a lost opportunity. (The ending dialogue is also open to interpretation as to how the story actually goes, but that’s a whole other discussion…)

Would I recommend it? If you like albums with a sense of flair, a bit of silliness, and have enough curiosity to check out the lesser-known recordings of popular artists, absolutely. It would also help if theatrics are your thing. If you’re just looking for a great collection of songs from start to finish, though, look elsewhere…..

Then again, that wasn’t what Ray was going for with this album, so I guess you could say he at least partially succeeded in his goal….at least he can get credit for that.

Original Press Release from Norway:

First off, I want to thank our editor, Brenda, for letting me write this article. I haven’t written anything here for well over a year now, for one reason or another, but since my first Lost & Found article was a David Bowie album, and my first new album review was also a David Bowie album, I reached out to her to see if she’d be gracious enough to let me contribute this to the magazine, and she was. So, thank you Brenda, for this chance.

I feel that anything I say about Bowie would be almost a cliche. That’s what happens when you have a career spanning over 50 years and manage to touch so many people in that time. The fact that he was always such an original artist makes it difficult to really write anything original about him, because there’s no way we could ever put him into words as well as he could.

Bowie had strong ties to the Philadelphia area. Not only has it always been considered one of his primary strongholds when it came to his fan base, but it’s a well known fact that the majority of the album Young Americans was recorded at Sigma Sound Studios, located in Philly. The stories of the fans who would wait outside the studio, hoping to hear any bit of the music being recorded, have been documented, some more hazily than others, but the outcome has never been forgotten. On one of the final days, he brought the group into the studio to hear the tapes that had been recorded, and up until he stopped touring, he would dedicate performances in Philly to the “Sigma Kids”.

For myself, I grew up on his music from a young age, thanks to my mother playing him constantly. While she grew up in the time of his classic ’70s output, I myself was in high school during his ’90s era; my first concert was seeing him and NIN in Camden, and it was one of the most rewarding experiences I ever had. As a hardcore fan, I remember being delighted at hearing him perform lesser known album tracks, such as “Joe the Lion” and “Teenage Wildlife”.

I was fortunate enough to see him a second time, at Borgata in 2004. I went to the second of two dates, and while I was bummed that I missed him playing “The Bewley Brothers”, it was made up for by getting to see him drag out “Fashion”, “Panic in Detroit”, and especially “Diamond Dogs”. In retrospect, I’m lucky, because this would end up being his final tour.

It’s been well documented that he basically spent most of the 2006-2013 period in exile. It was assumed he retired, and indeed he spent most of his time being a family man, something which was well deserved. Then, out of nowhere, with no warning, came The Next Day. The album still holds up well for me, and while there was no tour (or even interviews), we still had videos, and he was obviously back.

When Blackstar was announced, there was the obvious excitement. Finally, he was releasing music regularly, and even had a play in the works, which had been a lifelong dream of his. Now, though, we know why…

It’s since been confirmed that he had been suffering from cancer for the past 18 months. This album was recorded with the intention of being his finale, his swan song. He released one last video, for “Lazarus”, the day before his birthday, and this was also a calculated move. The opening line, “Look up here, I’m in heaven”, and the closing shot of Bowie disappearing into a dark closet, were intentional. He told us…we just didn’t know it at the time.

I, personally, have been in tears, and am not ashamed to admit it. I was awake at 2:30am when I found out, and was hoping it was a hoax. Obviously it wasn’t.

This is a void that will never be filled, because he was one of a kind. Right until the end, though, he still had us fans in mind, wanting to give us the closing of his career on his terms, as only he could deliver it. By closing his career his way, he gave us something to use as closure as well. Blackstar was his goodbye, and while this death still hurts, still shakes us…at least he said goodbye to us.

“I’m not a prophet or a stone-age man

Just a mortal with potential of a superman

I’m living on…” – “Quicksand” by David Bowie, 1971

You will be greatly missed, but you will always live on.

Anybody who was not at Boot and Saddle Sunday night definitely missed out, as opening band Radkey and main act Blood Red Shoes turned in what were two extremely intense, electric performances this writer has ever come across.

Radkey, the young rock/punk trio from Missouri, really got the crowd into things. From the first song to the last, they never let up, while in between songs bassist Isaiah would use humorous comments as a way to both endear the band to us and introduce songs. With their performances on tracks such as “Feed My Brain”, “Start Freaking Out”, “Romance Dawn”, and even a cover of that classic Misfits’ track “Last Caress”, they proved that both rock and punk is still alive and well. Despite their ages preventing them from staying after their set was over, I have no doubts that the city, as well as the whole country, will be seeing them a lot more in the future, a sentiment shared by those in the crowd.

After a short break to change the stage a bit, it was time for Blood Red Shoes. From the very start of the instrumental “Welcome Home”, it was clear that the energy was going to continue, and it could be felt in the crowd. The band played a mix of old and new songs, and the crowd seemed to enjoy each one, with some of them (myself included) singing right along.

Laura-Mary would occasionally flash a smile to us or get us clapping, while Steven would at times stand up on his drums, willing us along. Proving the old saying that “less is more”, the two piece never let up, throwing in surprises such as “You Bring Me Down” from their debut album (which they mentioned they hadn’t played in a long time), as well as “Red River” and “Black Distractions”, both from 2013’s Water EP. Once they reached their final song of the night, they somehow turned the energy level up even more, flying through a blistering version of “Je Me Perds”. Being the last song, they held nothing back, playing and screaming with pure intensity, pushing themselves and the crowd to the absolute limit. If this show was any indication, and if, as Steven said, they’re really focusing on the States with this album and tour, then they’re on the right path.

For both Radkey and Blood Red Shoes, it’s just a matter of time before they break through here.